Flashes
by Rose Stetson
Summary: A yearly chronicle from the first year 2001 to, but not including, the episode 2010. As in the episode, angsty SamJack
1. 2001

**Flashes**

_Scenes from the "2010" Timeline_

_There is a little angsty Sam and Jack, but it's mostly Sam and Joe, just like the episode_

_There was so much that happened between Season 4 and the year "2010" that I would have wanted to see, so, I have written a yearly glimpse into the chronicle that we missed by watching "2010" before any preliminary information._

"General Hammond?" Jack asked, as he knocked on the open office door.

"Yes, Senator, the meeting is scheduled to take place here at the SGC between you, Ambassador Vaxin, Mollem, and Boren." He said into the mouthpiece of the red phone. As he did so, he motioned for Jack to enter. The Colonel only took one hesitant step inside.

"I know he seems…" The General said, continuing the phone conversation. He waited as it was clear that the senator on the line had cut him off. "I must admit, his suggestion to take a few more precautions is only prudent."

He was silent for a few moments, listening to the Senator's tirade. "I understand." He conceded, with a sigh. "Colonel O'Neill is to be nowhere near the Mountain during the negotiations tomorrow."

Jack almost flinched but he managed to resist the urge.

"Good-bye, Senator Kinsey. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Kinsey afraid I'll screw up his plans for intergalactic domination?" Jack asked as Hammond motioned for him to shut the door.

"Jack, I've tried to plead your case to the President, but after that power struggle you initiated with Ambassador Vaxin…"

"He asked if Carter was free for lunch. He knew full-well that she had plans after the negotiations."

"And you reacted inappropriately by answering for Major Carter. And when she accepted his offer, you ordered her to report to her lab!"

"Sir, as commander of SG-1, it was my responsibility and prerogative to remind Major Carter of her responsibilities to the team. We had a project that we were supposed to be working on at the time that the ambassador asked her to lunch. Major Carter was a vital part of that plan as she is a valuable member of the team." He said, standing perfectly at attention with his fingers creating a diamond at the small of his back and his feet a little more than shoulder-width apart.

"And that plan was to undermine the negotiations with the Aschen. A negotiation that Ambassador Vaxin is a very active participant in."

"General, I was not trying to undermine negotiations. I was merely trying to encourage deeper thought and investigation into them."

"Jack, I'm not going to fight with you. But ever since that incident, I've had a hell of a time trying to convince the Pentagon that your motives aren't simply self-interested."

"Self-interested?"

"Yes, Jack, I know you're trying to keep your feelings for Major Carter off the record, but that seemed territorial even to me."

There was silence before the General continued. "Jack, if that had been the only incident…"

"Yes, sir."

"Threatening a United States senator, whether provoked or otherwise, is a courtmartialable offense."

"So, now what?" Jack asked, his tone icy.

George Hammond sighed. Dealing with Jack was like dealing with a fifty-year-old teenager. "I tried to call in a few markers, but the best I could was early retirement. Effective immediately."

"And if I don't take it?"

"You would be facing a court-martial and possibly a restraining order from the Senator and possibly from the ambassador."

"Then I guess the Land Of The Clear Blue Water is calling my name." Jack said, his steely gaze focused on the plaques lined in the bookshelf behind the General's desk.

"Jack, I'm sorry."

Jack nodded, curtly.

"You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." He said, turning to leave.

He walked down the hall and ran into Daniel and Sam, who were going to the briefing room for another preliminary briefing for the negotiations the next day.

"Where are you going, sir?"

"Fishing, Carter."

She and Daniel exchanged looks of confusion. "Didn't you just take a vacation? I mean, Jack…I know you don't approve of the whole negotiation, but couldn't you at least pretend to care? Everyone around here has their own opinions, but we're all working very hard on this."

"I know, Daniel." He said, a disapproving look in his eye.

"You're not taking a vacation, are you, sir?"

"Nope. Early retirement. So…see you around."

He walked past them and Sam turned as if to follow him. "Sir, is this about your…disagreement with Joe? He doesn't have any residual hard feelings."

He stopped and turned. "No, Carter, it's about this whole damn Ass-hen mess, not your Mr. Perfect Ambassador boyfriend. The thing with Joe, well…that was the proverbial straw."

She and Daniel took deep breaths, trying not to get offended by his resistance to their hard work.

"What's so wrong about wanting an ally that is willing to help us defend ourselves?" Daniel asked. "I mean, is it just that we're saying wipe out that goa'uld that it's a bad thing? Or what?"

"Daniel, you tell me what happened when we told the Asgard about these negotiations. As I recall, they were our allies first."

Sam bit the inside of her cheek before answering. "They severed all ties with us when we were unwilling to discontinue our negotiations."

"And the Tok'ra?"

"Jack, when have you given a damn about what the Tok'ra think?" Daniel asked, suspiciously.

"You know what, Daniel? When you all realize that the Aschen are just going to blow you all to hell, don't come running to me. Because as of right now, I don't give a damn!" Then, he turned and walked away.

Somehow, both Daniel and Sam felt betrayed and guilty at the same time. They had let down one of their dearest friends, and now, he was leaving them behind.


	2. 2002

(2002) – Tok'ra

Sirens went off in the Gate room, attracting the attention of SG-1. Sam looked over at Daniel. "What do you think it is?" She asked, worriedly.

He shrugged. "Don't know."

They hurried to the Gate room, to find three badly injured Tok'ra limping through the event horizon.

"I need a medical team to the Gate room!" Hammond ordered.

"What happened?" Sam asked, her heart pounding in fear.

"Attack..." One of the Tok'ra managed.

"Attack?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Give them some air!" Janet demanded as she hurried into the Gate room. She examined the Tok'ra who had been speaking before looking over at her friends, now joined by a curious Teal'c. "Get them to the infirmary, stat!" She called to the other medics. She looked over at Sam, Daniel and Teal'c with a look of obvious worry on her face as she turned to follow the medics. They looked at each other, mirroring the looks on their own faces before they looked up at Hammond who motioned them to the Briefing Room.

"We need to find out what the hell happened." He said, obviously more than a little upset.

"Once Janet has stabilized the Tok'ra who came through, we'll interrogate them."

"Teal'c, can you get in touch with the Jaffa? Maybe they know what's going on."

Teal'c nodded. "I will depart to Chulak immediately."

Hammond nodded. "Take SG-3 with you."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow in question.

"Just in case this is friendly fire." He said with a sigh. "The Aschen may have made a mistake and fired on the Tok'ra."

"The Aschen?" Daniel asked, skeptically.

Suddenly, Sam felt a bit sick to her stomach at the thought that O'Neill's warnings might have been well-deserved.

"There's something that just doesn't sit right with me about them." Hammond admitted. "O'Neill's hot-headed, but he's not stupid."

Sam looked up at the general. "May I go and check on the Tok'ra?"

The look on her face reminded everyone that she had a personal stake in the well-being of the Tok'ra race.

Hammond nodded. "I will send messages to our remaining allies to report on the status of surviving Tok'ra."

"Thank you." She said, standing.

"Dismissed." He said, nodding her dismissal.

"Thank you, sir." She said, quickly leaving the room.

Hammond watched her go before turning to Teal'c. "Find out what happened. If it was those Ashen, I want to know."

Teal'c nodded, gravely.

--

_Sorry I've taken so long to add to these chapters. Life's been crazy with all sorts of curve balls thrown. I'm nearing graduation from college, and I've recently published my first novel. "The Lady of the Manor" under the name Rachel Andersen. This can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It's 120 pages and published by PublishAmerica. Hope you check it out and enjoy what you find!_


	3. 2003

(2003)

Colonel Samantha Carter stood in the bride's dressing room, zoning out for a moment as Cassie fussed over every detail of Janet's gown.

"Sam? Are you okay?" Janet asked, looking at the maid of honor.

Sam looked up instantly. "Oh...sorry. Just thinking."

"About Joe?" She teased.

Sam gave her a good-natured smile though she didn't expound on her thoughts. "Can you believe you're getting married today?"

"And she starts side-stepping questions." Cassie teased as she continued to button the pearl buttons on her mother's gown.

"I'm not trying to sidestep any questions." Sam explained. "I'm just aware that today is not about me."

"Sam..." Janet said, studying her friend.

Sam sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm still having some good and bad days. I mean, I'm sure they're right. I'm sure my dad's gone."

"But not having a body to prove that makes it hard to believe." Janet finished, sympathetically.

"Yeah." She admitted.

"Sam, nothing's been proven one way or the other. For all we know it could have been one last goa'uld attack. Or maybe the Aschen got the Goa'uld as they tried to take the Tok'ra out with one last airstrike. The point is, only one of those Tok'ra survived, and even the handful of other survivors who have surfaced since then, haven't been able to tell us a thing. All they know is that there were several beams out of the sky that penetrated into their underground shelters."

Sam nodded. "I know. And the likelihood that anyone else has survived without going to any of our allies or any of the known Tok'ra allies is rather remote."

"So, just enjoy the wedding." Cassie said, softly. "I mean, it's not everyday that two of your best friends get married to each other."

Sam smiled. "That's true."

Janet fiddled around with her ring for a moment.

"Nervous?" Sam asked, looking at the doctor-turned-bride.

"A little." She admitted. "I mean, I've done this before. And it didn't turn out well."

"Daniel's been married too." Sam reminded her gently. "And while his marriage didn't end in divorce, Sha're was taken as a goa'uld host and in that state, she did try to kill him a time or two. I think if neither of you shoot at the other, you'll be a step ahead."

Janet chuckled appreciatively. "I guess you have a point there."

"Of course I do." Sam chuckled. "Now, let's get you ready so that Daniel doesn't pass out from nerves waiting for you.

"Yes, ma'am." Janet said, complete with a teasing salute.

Only a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. "We're ready for the bridal party." The wedding planner announced.

Sam and Cassie both gave Janet a hug. "Good luck." They whispered individually before lining up in the hallway.

At the start of the processional music, Cassie began stepping down the aisle of the church, and Sam took the opportunity to look at the set up. At the front of the church stood Daniel and Teal'c, Daniel's best man. On the other side of Teal'c stood Dr. Robert Rothman, Daniel's friend and colleague from his post-graduate days.

Sam sighed. He'd asked Jack to share the best man duties with Teal'c, but he'd refused saying that he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it to the wedding. She realized over and over again just how badly they'd hurt him when they'd rejected his theories that the Aschen were poor allies.

Speaking of the Aschen, Sam noticed that Mollem, Borem and a handful of other Aschen took up a few seats in the first few pews.

Suddenly, she heard her cue, and she began walking down the aisle, forcing a smile to her lips. Jack should be here, she thought.

She arrived at the front of the church as Janet began walking down the aisle, but her eyes were only momentarily captured by the bride. Sitting in the roped off balcony of the church was that leather jacket clad, white tousel-haired, ex-Colonel that she'd grown so fond of.

Leave it to Jack O'Neill to attend a function in some unexpected way so as to remain undetected by the untrained eye. She caught his eye and he paused for a moment, as if recognizing that his secret had been betrayed. That moment was brief, and Jack turned his gaze to the ceremony. Janet was taking Daniel's hand now. The actual wedding was beginning.

Sam sighed as she turned to face the bride and groom. This feud was tearing them apart. It needed to be resolved before something happened to further alienate them all from each other.


	4. 2004

The limousine pulled up to the cemetery, crunching crisp fall leaves as it parked on the side of the poorly paved road. Sam looked out the window, grateful that Joe had ordered a car. She wasn't sure she would have been able to keep her thoughts clear enough to actually drive to the funeral.

"Hey, you okay?" Joe asked, gently touching her thigh to catch her attention.

She looked over at him, nodding slowly. "Fine."

"General Hammond was a good man," he assured her. "And a fine general."

She nodded as she teared up again. "Yes, he was."

The chauffeur opened the door, and Sam stepped out after managing to collect her composure.

Daniel walked toward her. "Sam."

"Daniel." She said, hugging him.

"How are you doing?" He asked, studying her face.

"I'm…fine…"

"Sam, you lost your dad two years ago, and now you've lost General Hammond who was another father-figure. It's okay to fall apart."

She took a moment to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes. "I'll be fine."

Joe joined her and put a hand at the small of her back, taking her right hand in his right hand as he and Daniel exchanged nonverbal greetings.

Just then, a large truck drove up, and Sam tensed slightly as retired Colonel Jack O'Neill got out of the truck, his face keeping with the soberness of the affair.

"Jack." Daniel said, welcoming his friend in a subtly cool manner.

"Daniel." He returned. He looked over at Sam and Joe. "Carter. Ambassador."

"Colonel." She returned, nervously.

Janet approached with Cassie. "Joe. Sam. Jack." She said, soberly greeting everyone in turn.

"Hi, Janet." Sam said, pulling away from Joe to hug her friend.

She returned the hug, and each woman drew strength from the other for a few moments.

Finally, Daniel tapped his wife's shoulder. "It looks like they're about ready to start the funeral."

They all nodded soberly as they headed toward the site of the burial where an Air Force chaplain stood ready to bless the final resting place of the late General George Hammond.

As the chaplain recited the Lord's prayer, Sam looked at Jack. He inhaled for a moment before he discreetly reached over and handed her a small piece of paper. She looked at it curiously before she looked at him. His face was serious as he returned his gaze to the ceremony.

Sam looked at the paper, wondering when and if she should open it.

Joe noticed the exchange, and pursed his lips slightly as if in anger. In response to the vibes she felt from him, she crumpled the paper in her fist, quickly placing it in her pocket.

Jack looked forward stoically, paying tribute to his commanding officer and friend.

--

Sam walked into her house after the ceremony, feeling drained. When had it gotten to the point that spending any time with her team was uncomfortable and tense?

She remembered the note she'd put into her pocket, and she reached for it. Suddenly, she was grateful that she'd told Joe to go to that emergency meeting with the Aschen.

She pulled the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. _We need to talk. Aschen behind Tok'ra massacre and __Hammond__'s death._

She sighed as she crumpled the paper again, throwing it in the garbage. Did he have to use her father's death and the General's heart attack to recruit more followers for his self-righteous cause?

Joe would be one of the first people to know if they'd had bad intentions, and she would have heard about it if they had. Right now, she needed to trust that.


	5. 2005

Sam fidgeted with the fringe on her sweater as she sat in the patio seating of the restaurant. Why was she so nervous? She asked herself. Was it the fact that Joe had asked for her hand in marriage a week ago? Was it the fact that she had agreed to meet Jack in a public place without discussing it with Joe first? Was it the fact that she was meeting with Jack period?

She sighed inwardly. What was wrong with meeting a former colleague for lunch? What was wrong with meeting an old friend for a cup of coffee?

"May I get you anything?" The waitress asked, walking over to her again.

"Not right now, thank you. I'm still waiting for my party…" She said, giving a sad excuse for a smile to the woman.

"Okay." She said, clearly aware that Sam's wait was probably going to be a great deal longer.

She had a hard time believing that Jack would stand her up, but…they hadn't spoken since Hammond's funeral, and last she'd heard, he'd been in Minnesota, living in blissful ignorance.

Damn her feelings for this man! She thought bitterly to herself.

"Sam?" A familiar voice asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She looked up to see Joe take the seat across from her. "Joe!"

"Hey!" He said, flashing a brilliant smile in her direction as he set his suit jacket onto his attaché case. "Did we have lunch plans?"

"Uh, no...I just...felt like coming here for lunch today." She said, somewhat nervously.

"Well, what matters is that we're here together." He said, taking her hand into his with a smile.

"Yes." She said, clearly uncomfortable.

"Ahem." Jack's voice said, as his shadow fell across the table. Sam looked up to see him standing with his hands in his pockets, dressed in baggy blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a black leather jacket that was too big for him. Any other man would have looked like he was trying to make himself look intimidating, but for Jack, it wasn't a false sense of intimidation that he cast. The hardened look of an experienced soldier in his eye that frightened away his opposition. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think Carter is meeting ME for lunch."

Sam closed her eyes in humiliation as she wished she could crawl under the table and make a quick get-away. Joe's eyes darkened slightly as he stood.

"You…and…Sam…" Joe said, looking at Sam as if demanding an explanation.

She gave him a weak smile as she opened her eyes to face his gaze. "He wanted to reminisce, and I didn't think it would be that bad..."

"Right." Joe said, reaching for his jacket and briefcase. "Well…then, I'll leave the two of you…alone…"

She sighed as he left, looking at the table as the waitress returned, somewhat perplexed at what had just happened.

"May I…get you anything?" She asked, cautiously.

"I'd like a serving of crow for my friend here." Jack said, smiling at the woman taking the order.

She drew her eyebrows together in confusion. "Crow?"

"Never mind." Jack said, waving her away. "So…Carter…long time no see…"

"Yes, sir. Long time no see…" Sam said, almost beyond humiliated at this point. "I see you've been taking EXCELLENT care of yourself…"

Jack ran a finger over his unkempt beard. "Some women like the rugged look." He said, cryptically.

"They're the same women that would rather see it on the screen than experience it firsthand." She said, a bite to her voice that Jack didn't recognize.

"Trouble with Mr. Perfect Ambassador?"

"There's nothing wrong, thank you." She said, tersely.

"Ah. I remember now…you're suffering from undying LOVE." He said, cynically.

"I didn't say that either."

He shrugged as he sipped at his water nonchalantly.

"So…you called me for what?" Sam asked, lokoing at him.

"I assume you got my note at the funeral..."

"That was almost six months ago, Jack." She sighed.

"So what?"

"So, you've picked a hell of a time to follow up!" She snapped.

"Look, Dr. Carter, I've been a little busy following my suspicions up with a little leg work..."

"Suspicions? You made it sound like empirical evidence in your note."

"You read it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought it made your boyfriend angry."

"You've known me for nearly ten years, Jack. When have I not had my own opinion about things?"

"Since you met your dear ambassador." He said, pointedly.

She groaned. "Fine. I've decided to live the American dream. Sue me."

There was silence for a few moments before he sighed. "Okay...back to why I asked you to meet me."

"Okay."

"Hammond called me before he died. He sent me a package before he died, and I checked out the validity of the contents."

"How?"

His eyes darted around the restaurant. "Maybourne."

"And you think he's reliable?"

"Look, the NID's been awfully quiet since the Aschen took over. And Maybourne's managed to get us out of a few scrapes..."

"Oh yeah...the ones he put us in in the first place!"

"I'm not saying I trust the guy." He defended. "But I did some other checking. This guy, Barrett, he's pretty clean, and he says the same things."

"What, Jack?" She asked, tiredly. "That the Aschen gave Hammond a heart attack?"

"That's not the point, Sam. There's a lot of stuff being covered up, and you know how I feel about cover-ups."

"You were Special Ops." She said, incredulously. "You were a fundamental part of a top-secret operation out of Cheyenne Mountain. What part of your career didn't have a coverup?"

"I didn't like the fact that my special ops days were covered up." He said, fiercely. "But they were to prevent major diplomatic catastrophes. And the Stargate program was covered up to prevent mass panic."

"And maybe your so-called coverups here are the same thing! Or maybe they're just well-argued conspiracy theories."

He sighed. "I'm smarter than that, Carter. Destruction of the Tok'ra race is not something to be covered up, though. They were our allies."

"And my father was one of them!" She cried angrily. "You don't think I know that? Of course I want to know what's going on, but I don't think that a secret investigation will do any good!"

"Fine!" He spat. "Then I'll call Daniel, or Cassie, or Janet, or Teal'c, or maybe even your dearly beloved Ambassador!"

"Like he'd listen to anything you have to say." She spat. "You've made it very clear how you feel about him..."

"Yeah, and my feelings about him haven't changed, but Kinsey's not going to listen to me."

She sighed. "What do you want me to do, Jack? Do you want me to tell you that I was wrong?"

"Only if you finally believe it."

"I don't."

"Then don't say it."

"Then I won't."

He stood to leave. "Then there's nothing else to discuss..."

"Wait..." The word erupted from her lips before she had a chance to think.

"Why?" He asked, turning.

She fingered the ring in her pocket nervously. She had yet to say yes to the man who'd asked for her hand only a few days ago. But she'd never be able to say a word until she got an honest answer from Jack…

"Carter."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring, placing it in front of him.

"Nice velvet." He said, studying the box with a weary eye.

"It's a ring." She explained.

"I gathered that."

"I…haven't said yes yet." She whispered.

"No?" He asked, squinting as he sat back down and looked at her.

"Jack, I just told you that I hadn't said yes yet!"

"Sam, I'm not stupid. You're going to say yes."

"What makes you say that?" She asked, heatedly.

"Goodbye, Sam." He said with a sigh. "Have a good life."

"Wait!" She cried as he marched away from the table. "What did you mean when you said that you care about me more than you're supposed to?"

He paused before turning back to her. "What did you mean about the irony of our situation?"

"I asked you first."

"And I ignored your question."

"Jack. You can't tell me you didn't feel something…"

"Yes. And I now realize it was an unmistakable fear of death. Sorry that you confused that with…whatever you're confusing it with…"

"I'M not the confused one." She protested.

"Right. You're just talking to me before you've said yes to your boyfriend." He said before turning to leave.

"If you leave now, I'm going to marry him." She threatened.

He paused for a moment before continuing, silently.

"Damn you, Jack!" She whispered angrily as hot tears threatened to spill.


End file.
